Vending machine tracking system

ABSTRACT

A tracking system counts events in the operation of multiple machines or devices over a wide geographic area. For example, for bulk venders the system counts each vend responsive to rotation through a cycle of the coin mechanism, and preferably records the date and time of each vend. An active tag has a memory for storing data representing a vending event, for example the date and time of the event. The data is periodically read by an interrogator, which downloads the data stored in the tag memory and erases the memory to reset the tag for continued monitoring of the vender. With this information an operator can reconcile revenues, track when sales take place and over what period of time, and track the work habits of service personnel.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to vending machines. In particular, thisinvention relates to a system for tracking vending machines and vendedmerchandise.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bulk venders, colloquially known as “gum ball machines”, are widely usedfor dispensing confectioneries and other small articles of merchandise.A typical bulk vender has a hopper assembly comprising a transparentglobe which functions as a merchandise storage bin, seated over adispensing wheel which revolves in a hopper. A patron deposits therequired coinage into the coin mechanism and turns the handle, whichrotates the dispensing wheel to convey a preset amount of merchandise tothe dispensing chute. The hopper assembly is located over a body whichis mounted on a base, defining a secure compartment containing a cashbox into which the coin mechanism ejects the deposited coins.

Bulk venders are typically purchased and maintained by vender operators,who install and service the venders at high traffic locations such asshopping malls, restaurants and the like. The operator periodicallyrestocks the venders and collects the proceeds from the sale of articlesdispensed by the venders, and typically remits a portion of the proceedsto the owner of the premises. A large vender operator may operate manyhundreds of bulk venders, employing service personnel to service thevenders and deliver the coins which have accumulated within the cash boxto the operator.

Bulk venders are intended particularly for use in unsupervised publicareas, and as such are designed to resist tampering, theft and vandalismby patrons. However, since in a conventional bulk vender the number ofarticles dispensed from each vender is not monitored, so that the venderoperator can never know how many coins should be collected from anyparticular vender during a service call, the operator is highlyvulnerable to the theft of coins by the operator's service personnel.The operator can also be vulnerable to the substitution of slugs forcoins by service personnel before the collected coins are delivered tothe operator.

In either case the operator's proceeds can be significantly reduced.This significantly limits an operator's ability to expand his or herbusiness because the operator is either limited to using only employeesknown to be trustworthy, or runs the risk of substantial losses due toskimming by employees. Further, this reduces the operator's ability toaccount to the owner of the premises on which a vender is located,because the operator can never be certain when remitting a portion ofthe proceeds to the owner of the premises that all monies collected bythe vender have been accounted for.

Moreover, because bulk venders are designed for self service by userswith minimal maintenance, they are frequently placed in locations wheretheir use cannot be readily supervised. As a result bulk venders arereadily susceptible to theft, and when recovered the authorities mayhave no way of identifying the operator/owner of the vender. Also,occasionally a vender may be abandoned by its operator, or for somereason the operator may have to be notified regarding a problem with thevender, and there is occasionally no easy way to identity the owner ofthe vender.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing atracking system for any coin-operated machine or device, including forexample bulk venders. In the preferred embodiment the system of theinvention counts each vend responsive to a cycle of the coin mechanism,and records the date and time of each vend.

The invention accomplishes this by providing an active tag, in the formof a microchip disposed in a housing, which has a memory for storingdata representing a vending event, for example the date and time of theevent. The data is periodically read by a hand-held reader or“interrogator,” which downloads the data stored in the tag memory anderases the memory to reset the tag for continued monitoring of thevender. With this information an operator can reconcile the number ofcoins collected from the vender with the number of vends recorded, toensure that the operator's proceeds are not being stolen by employees.The presence of the tag would inhibit theft to such an extent that anoperator would no longer have to limit the expansion of his or herbusiness because a much greater pool of potential employees becomesavailable to the operator, which significantly increases the number ofvenders that the operator can service.

The recorded information also allows an operator to determine when thevender is likely to need restocking, to thereby anticipate servicingrequirements; to track when vends take place and over what period oftime, to help in determining the commercial viability of a venderlocation; and to track the work habits of service personnel anddetermine their operating efficiency.

In the preferred embodiment the tag transmits the data via a radiofrequency (RF) signal, has a unique identification code, and operatesresponsive to a digital key which allows only a reader having acorresponding key to task the tag for data and erase its memory. Thus,the tag not only monitors the activity of the coin-operated machine ordevice, but also provides an instant indication as to the identity ofthe owner/operator.

The tag may comprise, or be a component of, a “microelectromechanicalsystem” or “MEMS.” Such a device is capable of providing a tagidentification function, data memory, mechanical power generation andstorage, RF communications, coin sensing/vend actuation, and eventcapture where the event may be a vend, a temperature or moisture alarm,etc., and data transfer.

In a further preferred embodiment the interrogator 100 can be providedwith wireless communications capabilities and/or a GPS or GSMtransponder, allowing the operator to track the whereabouts of servicepersonnel.

In other applications, for example for tracking revenues and otherevents relating to taxicabs, the device of the invention can beconnected to existing counting circuitry to record events as they occur.The invention has application to other industries where it may beadvantageous to track events in the life of a product or service, forexample in food processing and post-processing activities, for examplestorage and shipping, for quality control and consumer safety.

The present invention thus provides a tracking system comprising a taghaving a memory containing an identification code, an RF transceiver forreceiving instructions from an interrogator and transmitting data to theinterrogator, and an erasable memory for storing vending event data;whereby the event data received from one or more sensors is recorded bythe tag and when the tag is read by the interrogator, the event data istransferred to the tag and the memory is erased.

In further aspects of the tracking system: the system comprises a clock,wherein the event data comprises the date or time, or both, of eachevent; the event data comprises temperature data; the event datacomprises moisture or humidity data; the event data is stored in anon-volatile memory; during data transfer the tag derives power from anelectromagnetic field generated by the interrogator; the memory furthercomprises and at least one digital key such that the tag transmits dataonly to an interrogator possessing the key the interrogator is providedwith a Global Positioning System (GPS) transponder or a Global Systemfor Mobile communications (GSM) transponder for periodically indicatinga position of the interrogator; and the interrogator is provided with amobile telephone for communicating with a central station.

The invention further provides a vender comprising a merchandise storageportion and a coin mechanism having a handle exposed for rotation,whereby a selected amount of merchandise is dispensed with eachrotational cycle of the coin mechanism, having a tracking systemcomprising a tag having a memory containing an identification code andat least one digital key, an RF transceiver for receiving instructionsfrom an interrogator and transmitting data to the interrogator, and aRAM for storing vending event data; and an interface for incrementallyincreasing a vend count stored in the RAM with each rotation of the coinmechanism.

In further aspects of the vender: the vender comprises a clock, whereinthe vending event data comprises the date or time, or both, of eachvend; the vending event data comprises a code representing the type ofmerchandise being dispensed; the interface comprises a dog disposed on apivot, being biased to one of open and closed positions and having oneach side of the pivot an upstanding finger in the path of the coin, anda contact housing positioned with contacts facing a conductive one ofthe fingers, whereby as the coin passes one finger it pushes the dog tothe closed position to close a circuit and generate a count pulse in thetag, and as the coin passes the other finger it pushes the dog to theopen position remote from the contacts; and the dog is biased by aspring-loaded ball which settles into one of two notches under the forceof spring.

The invention further provides a switch for transmitting an electricalsignal to a tracking tag associated with a rotary coin mechanism,comprising a dog disposed on a pivot, being biased to one of open andclosed positions and having on each side of the pivot an upstandingfinger in the path of the coin, and a contact housing positioned withcontacts facing a conductive one of the fingers, whereby as the coinpasses one finger it pushes the dog to the closed position to close acircuit and generate a count pulse in the tag, and as the coin passesthe other finger it pushes the dog to the open position remote from thecontacts.

In a further a aspect of the switch, the dog is biased by aspring-loaded ball which settles into one of two notches under the forceof a spring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a preferredembodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bulk vender embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a coin mechanism embodying theinvention in a bulk vender,

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the cover plate of the coin mechanism ofFIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevation of a switch for pulsing the tag tosignal a vending event;

FIG. 5A is an enlarged elevation of a dog in the switch of FIG. 4,showing the dog in position adjacent to the switch contacts

FIG. 5B is an enlarged elevation of the dog in FIG. 5A, showing the dogin position remote from the switch contacts,

FIG. 6A is an enlarged elevation of the switch of FIG. 4, showing theswitch in a closed position, and

FIG. 6B is an enlarged elevation of the switch of FIG. 6A, showing theswitch in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical bulk vender 2 in which the system of theinvention may be employed. The vender 2 conventionally includes a lowerhousing 4 enclosing the workings of the coin mechanism 10 and a cash box(not shown) for collecting deposited coins or tokens 1, a transparentarticle storage bin 5 for storing merchandise such as gum balls or otherarticles to be dispensed, and a turntable 6 which is rotated by rotationof the coin mechanism 10 to align one of a plurality of productconveyors with the opening to a dispensing chute 8, as is well known. Avender of this type is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No.5,954,181 for a “Coin Mechanism with Magnetic Locking System” issued onSep. 21, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference. It will beappreciated that this is merely one example of a bulk vender in whichthe invention can be implemented, and the description thereof is notintended to be limiting.

Although the invention will be described with reference to a coin, theterm “coin” as used herein includes coins and tokens and like elements,and is in no way restricted to currency or coins having a monetaryvalue. Further, while the invention is described herein in the contextof a coin mechanism 10 in a bulk vender 2, it will also be understoodthat a coin mechanism of the invention may be used in any other machineor device which operates responsive to a coin mechanism, including manytypes of machines and devices which do not dispense merchandise such asparking meters, laundry machines and video games, by way of non-limitingexample, and the invention is accordingly not restricted to anyparticular type or application of the coin mechanism. The invention isadvantageously implemented where multiple machines or devices are placedin locations that do not provide ready access to a mains electricalpower supply, and are spread out over a wide geographic area, bulkvenders 2 being merely one example.

In each vending machine or device 2 a complete cycle of the coinmechanism is referred to herein as a “vend,” whether the coin mechanismcycle causes merchandise to be dispensed, time on a parking meter toincrease, a washing machine to complete a wash cycle, a video game to gointo play mode, or otherwise.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a coin mechanism 10embodying the invention in a bulk vender 2. The mechanism 10 comprises acover plate 20 having a coin opening 24. A handle 30 is fixed to atapered shaft 32 which extends through an opening formed by a nipple 26projecting from the cover plate 20 and engages an opening 38 disposedthrough the centre of a substantially disc-shaped coin conveyor 40. Theshaft 32 has a longitudinal flat (or slightly concave) surface 32 aallowing it to rotationally engage the coin conveyor 40.

The coin conveyor 40 includes a coin receiving portion for receiving acoin 1 which comprises a recess 42 formed to the size of the intendedcoin 1, in which the coin 1 nests as it is conveyed about the rotationalcycle of the coin mechanism 10. In the illustrated embodiment the coinconveyor 40 is provided with peripheral ratchet teeth 41 which cooperatewith a pawl to prevent reverse rotation of the mechanism 10 during mostof the rotational cycle (a small radius of reverse rotation is permittedimmediately beyond the rest position, which allows the coin conveyor 40to revert to the rest position if the measuring devices reject thedeposited coin).

A back plate 80 overlays the coin conveyor 40 and is affixed to thecover plate 20 so as to be stationary relative thereto, as by bolts 81.The back plate 80 retains a coin 1 in the coin recess 42 along therotational path followed by the coin 1 as the handle 30 is rotated. Theshaft 32 extends through an opening 86 in the back plate 80 and isrotationally engaged to a dispensing gear 64 for rotating the turntable6. Thus, the cover plate 20 and back plate 80 remain stationary, whilethe coin conveyor 40 and gear 64 are fixed in position on the shaft 32and rotate as the handle 30 is turned.

A dog 70 for measuring the thickness of a coin 1 may be mounted on theback plate 80 biased against the coin recess 42 by a spring 70 a, tocatch the trailing edge of the coin recess 42 if a deposited coin orslug is thinner than the intended coin 1 and arrest rotation of themechanism 10. Conventionally a diameter measuring dog 34 for measuringthe diameter of the coin 1 is pivotally mounted on the cover plate 20,biased against the coin conveyor 40 by a spring 34 a, to catch on thetrailing corner 35 of the coin recess 42 if a deposited coin or slug hasa diameter smaller than the intended coin 1 and thus arrest rotation ofthe mechanism 10. The coin conveyor 40 thus conveys the proper coin 1 tothe coin ejection ramp 25, where it falls into a coin tray (not shown)concealed within the vender housing 4, along a specific rotational paththat allows the measuring dog 34 to measure the coin 1 at the designatedradial position. If a deposited coin or slug is not of the correct size,the dog 34 cooperates with the coin conveyor 40 to arrest rotation ofthe mechanism 10.

According to the invention, a tag is provided to record vending events.The tag may be a radio frequency identification (RF ID) tag 110, whichcomprises a ROM containing a non-erasable identification code and atleast one digital key, along with any necessary operating software; anRF transceiver for receiving instructions from a reader or“interrogator” 100 (shown in phantom in FIG. 1) and transmitting data tothe interrogator 100; a clock; and a RAM for erasably storing vendingactivity data, in the preferred embodiment representing the date andtime of each complete revolution of the coin mechanism 10, andoptionally the type of merchandise with which the vender 2 is stocked,and the temperature and/or humidity of the environment in which thevender 2 is located; all integrated into a single chip. Such RF ID tagsare commercially available for use with electronic devices, for examplefor recording temperature measurements from an electronic thermometer orthermostat. An example of a suitable tag 100, without limitation, is anytag operating at 13.56 MHz and meeting the ISO 18000-3/15693 protocol orsimilar protocols.

In the preferred embodiment, the tag 110 is hermetically sealed in ahousing 112 along with a power source 114, for example a commerciallyavailable compact lithium battery. The battery 114 may operate at anoutput of a few microamps and a voltage at or below 3.3 V, which issufficient to operate the tag 110. The tag 110 is preferably disposedbetween the cover plate 20 and back plate 80, positioned so that the tagtransceiver is capable of communicating with the interrogator 100positioned in front of the coin mechanism 10, as shown in FIG. 1. Ifnecessary the portion of the cover plate 20 overlaying the tag 110 canbe reduced in thickness, or a non-metallic insert can be affixed intothe cover 20 over the tag 110, to create an RF “window” which allows thetag transceiver to communicate with the interrogator 100.

The RF signal from the tag 110 should be kept at a fairly low power, toconserve energy and ensure that if venders are in close proximity to oneanother, data is being retrieved only from the vender beinginterrogated. Thus, the interrogator 100 must be held fairly close to(for example, within 10 cm), or in contact with, the cover plate 20 ofthe coin mechanism 10. The interrogator 100 may comprise a standardPersonal Digital Assistant (PDA) that provides a port for connecting anaccessory reader, and the software (which may be programmed over anystandard operating platform) can be downloaded to the PDA or provided inan accessory card. Suitable PDA and other reading devices are currentlyavailable.

According to the invention, an interface 120 is provided to recognizethe motion of the coin mechanism turning through a complete cycle—whichis representative of a single vending event—and generate a pulse whichincrementally increases the vend count in the tag 110 and preferablyrecords the date and time of the vending event. In one preferredembodiment shown in FIG. 3, the interface 120 may comprise a metallicdog 122 having at each end an upstanding finger 122 a, 122 b in the pathof a coin 1. A contact box 124 is positioned with contacts 126 facingthe finger 122 b, so that as the coin 1 passes the finger 122 a itpushes the finger 122 b against the contacts 126 to thus close a circuitthrough wires 128 and generate a count pulse in the tag 110. As the coinpasses the finger 122 b it pushes the finger 122 b away from thecontacts 126. The dog 122 is preferably frictionally engaged to a hub121, so that it will not slip between the open and closed positions ifthe machine is shaken or subjected to vibration.

In this embodiment, it is important to ensure that the counter or tag110 counts only once with each vend of the vending machine, the switchthat pulses the counter or tag must do so only once during each completecycle of the coin mechanism 10, which is representative of a singlevending event. This incrementally increases the vend count in thecounter or tag 110 by a unit, and optionally records the date and timeof the vending event. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6,the switching interface 120 comprises a dog 122 having at each end anupstanding finger 122 a, 122 b in the path of a coin 1. The finger 122 bis conductive or has a conductive coating applied to it. A contacthousing 124 (shown in FIG. 6) is positioned with contacts 126 facing thefinger 122 b, so that as the coin 2 passes the finger 122 a it pushesthe finger 122 b against the contacts 126 to thus close a circuitthrough wires 128 and generate a count pulse in the tag 110. As the coinpasses the finger 122 b it pushes the finger 122 b away from thecontacts 126. The switch dog 122 is biased to either the open (“off”) orclosed (“on”) position, for example by a spring-loaded ball 130 whichsettles into either notch 132 a or notch 132 b under the force ofcompression spring 131, depending upon the position of the dog 122, butdoes not allow the dog 122 to freely move between the on and offpositions. The dog 122 can thus contact the contacts 126 only once witheach coin 2 that passes the fingers 122 a and 122 b, to thus ensure asingle pulse is delivered to the tag or counter 118. The wiringconnections for creating this circuit (not shown) will be apparent tothose skilled in the art.

Alternatively, the interface 120 may comprise a proximity sensoractuated by a density differential, reflective surface or otherproximity actuator on the coin conveyor 40; a reed switch responsive toa magnet embedded in the coin conveyor; or some other activatinginterface which closes a circuit to generate a pulse on the event inputpin of the tag 110. In each case the interface 120 is located at aposition in the rotational cycle of the coin mechanism 10 at which thecoin has already been accepted, so that the tag 110 does not falselycount partial rotations through the free-turning portion of thebeginning of the coin mechanism cycle as actual vends.

In operation, the vender 2 is set up in the selected location and thestorage bin 5 is stocked with merchandise. The interrogator 110 ispositioned as shown in FIG. 1, and activated to signal the tag 110 toswitch out of ‘sleep’ (power saving) mode and transmit itsidentification code. If this is the first interrogation, theinterrogator 100 is initialized to the tag 110, i.e. the operator keystored in ROM in the tag 110 is then programmed into the interrogator100 and will thereafter be recognized by the interrogator 100.(Alternatively, the operator key can be preprogrammed into theinterrogator 100 by the manufacturer as a recognized key). Theidentification code is retrieved by the interrogator 100 and the serviceperson enters the location of the vender 10 into the interrogator 100via an alpha-numeric keypad (not shown). Thereafter, each time the coinmechanism 10 is rotated through a complete cycle, the cam 120 passes theswitch 122 and the tag 110 counts another vend, and preferablyassociates with the vend event data representing the date and time ofthe vend.

Periodically, service personnel interrogate the tag 110 using theinterrogator 100, and retrieve the data stored in RAM. The interrogator100 is used to signal the tag 110 to switch out of ‘sleep’ mode andtransmit its identification code. If the operator key is recognized bythe interrogator 100, the identification code is retrieved by theinterrogator 100 along with the data representing vend events, which mayinclude the date and time of a vend, and if desired a code representingthe type of merchandise being dispensed. When the data retrieval iscomplete, the interrogator 100 signals the tag 110 to erase its RAM andreturn to the ‘sleep’ mode.

After collecting data from a number of venders on a route, the datastored in the interrogator 100 is downloaded to a data collection systemincluding a computer, for example a desktop or laptop PC (not shown),for review and analysis. The interrogator 100 may be placed into acradle or otherwise docked directly to the computer (via cable,infrared, RF or otherwise), or the interrogator or its cradle may beprovided with or connected to a modem for a dial-up connection to thecomputer.

In one embodiment the tag 110 is intended to be disposable. Acurrently-available lithium battery can last up to five years. Uponbattery failure, or other failure of the tag 110, the tag 110 would bediscarded and replaced with a new tag 110. Although tags arecommercially available which transmit at intervals, in the preferredembodiment the tag 110 transmits only when switched out of sleep mode bythe interrogator 100, to conserve battery life and thus prolong the lifeof the tag 110. In an alternative embodiment, the tag 100 is permanentand a separate battery is provided. The battery may be a rechargeablebattery, which for example could be recharged by induction, or thebattery be disposable and replaced when it nears the end of its expectedlife. The tag 110 may also comprise or be a component of a“microelectromechanical system” or “MEMS,” having the tag identificationfunction, data memory, mechanical power generation and storage, RFcommunications, coin sensing/vend actuation, and event capture asdescribed herein. In either case the tag 110 is preferably capable ofbeing powered by induction from the electromagnetic field generated bythe interrogator 100, which also allows the interrogator 100 to effectdata transfer from the tag 110 without using the power supply 114, toboth conserve power and ensure that data can be recovered (where the tag110 has a non-volatile memory) if the power source 114 fails.

Preferably the tag 110 also stores in ROM a manufacturer's or “master”key, allowing the manufacturer to operate and retrieve information (suchas the identification code) when it is necessary to identify theowner/operator of the vender. Additionally, preferably the manufacturercan program the interrogator 100 to recognize (or reject) the operatorkey for any particular tag 110, or to reset a tag 110 so that anotherinterrogator 100 can be initialized to the tag 110, in order tofacilitate an operator selling part of a route or territory to anotheroperator.

In a further preferred embodiment the interrogator 100 can be providedwith a Global Positioning System (GPS) transponder or a Global Systemfor Mobile communications (GSM) transponder (not shown), or any othersuitable wireless positioning/cornmunications medium, which maycommunicate for example over a regional cellular network, or for verywide area applications by satellite, allowing the operator to track thewhereabouts of service personnel servicing the venders 2. In theseembodiments the interrogator 100, which can incorporate a mobile phone,can initiate communications with a central station at predeterminedintervals, or can be tasked by the central station to upload informationat any time desired by the operator.

In other applications, for example for tracking revenues and otherevents relating to taxicabs, the device of the invention can beconnected to existing counting circuitry to record events as they occur,and can upload information at desired intervals to a central station oradministrator in like fashion or read by an interrogator 100 when thetaxi physically returns to the central station.

The tag 110 may utilize volatile memory, in which power must beconstantly applied in order for the tag to retain the data in memory. Inan alternative preferred embodiment, the tag 110 comprises anon-volatile memory, for example as may be found in current EPROM,EEPROM, and FLASH technologies, which do not require a battery 114permanently connected to the tag 110. In the latter embodiment thebattery 114 may be disconnected entirely from the tag 110 whenever theswitching interface 120 breaks the circuit to the tag counter input, andis reconnected by the switching interface 120 closing or theinterrogator 100 tasking the tag 110 out of sleep mode. Thus, any typeof memory (semiconductor, magnetic, and others), whether it retainsinformation in the absence of applied power or requires the constantapplication of power, can be used in the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described by way ofnon-limiting example only. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatcertain modifications and adaptations may be made without departing fromthe scope of the invention as claimed.

1. A tracking system comprising a tag having a memory containing anidentification code, an RF transceiver for receiving instructions froman interrogator and transmitting data to the interrogator, and anerasable memory for storing vending event data; whereby the event datareceived from one or more sensors is recorded by the tag and when thetag is read by the interrogator, the event data is transferred to thetag and the memory is erased.
 2. The tracking system of claim 1comprising a clock, wherein the event data comprises the date or time,or both, of each event.
 3. The tracking system of claim 2 wherein theevent data comprises temperature data.
 4. The tracking system of claim 2wherein the event data comprises moisture or humidity data.
 5. Thetracking system of claim 1 wherein the event data is stored in anon-volatile memory.
 6. The tracking system of claim 5 wherein duringdata transfer the tag derives power from an electromagnetic fieldgenerated by the interrogator.
 7. The tracking system of claim 1 whereinthe memory further comprises and at least one digital key such that thetag transmits data only to an interrogator possessing the key.
 8. Thetracking system of claim 1 wherein the interrogator is provided with aGlobal Positioning System (GPS) transponder or a Global System forMobile communications (GSM) transponder for periodically indicating aposition of the interrogator.
 9. The tracking system of claim 1 whereinthe interrogator is provided with a mobile telephone for communicatingwith a central station.
 10. A vender comprising a merchandise storageportion and a coin mechanism having a handle exposed for rotation,whereby a selected amount of merchandise is dispensed with eachrotational cycle of the coin mechanism, having a tracking systemcomprising a tag having a memory containing an identification code andat least one digital key, an RF transceiver for receiving instructionsfrom an interrogator and transmitting data to the interrogator, and aRAM for storing vending event data; and an interface for incrementallyincreasing a vend count stored in the RAM with each rotation of the coinmechanism.
 11. The vender of claim 10 comprising a clock, wherein thevending event data comprises the date or time, or both, of each vend.12. The vender of claim 10 wherein the vending event data comprises acode representing the type of merchandise being dispensed.
 13. Thevender of claim 10 wherein the interface comprises a dog disposed on apivot, being biased to one of open and closed positions and having oneach side of the pivot an upstanding finger in the path of the coin, anda contact housing positioned with contacts facing a conductive one ofthe fingers, whereby as the coin passes one finger it pushes the dog tothe closed position to close a circuit and generate a count pulse in thetag, and as the coin passes the other finger it pushes the dog to theopen position remote from the contacts.
 14. The vender of claim 13wherein the dog is biased by a spring-loaded ball which settles into oneof two notches under the force of a spring.
 15. A switch fortransmitting an electrical signal to a tracking tag associated with arotary coin mechanism, comprising a dog disposed on a pivot, beingbiased to one of open and closed positions and having on each side ofthe pivot an upstanding finger in the path of the coin, and a contacthousing positioned with contacts facing a conductive one of the fingers,whereby as the coin passes one finger it pushes the dog to the closedposition to close a circuit and generate a count pulse in the tag, andas the coin passes the other finger it pushes the dog to the openposition remote from the contacts.
 16. The switch of claim 15 whereinthe dog is biased by a spring-loaded ball which settles into one of twonotches under the force of a spring.